Residents of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta were shocked after a video surfaced showing a group of migrants celebrating on El Trampolin beach by hoisting a young bottlenose dolphin calf above their heads. The footage captured onlookers cheering while the animal was pulled from the water.
Violent handling of the dolphin
According to the video, one of the men struck the dolphin on the head with a stick, an act described by local activist Nadia Garcia Gomez as “extreme and unjustifiable cruelty.” Gomez posted on social media calling for the participants to be arrested, noting that dolphins are protected under Spanish and European law.
Some bystanders can be heard shouting “no” as the incident unfolded, while others appeared to cheer. Eventually, someone placed the injured animal back into the sea, though the damage appeared fatal.
Local reaction and broader context
The incident has ignited anger among Ceuta residents, many of whom have called for the migrants involved to be prosecuted and expelled. The outrage comes as the enclave grapples with a surge of migrants from neighboring Morocco; in July, more than 70,000 people attempted to cross the border, with thousands remaining after many returned home.
Local citizens have taken direct action, tearing down migrant tents and shelters on the beach and demanding tougher measures from the Spanish central government in Madrid. The episode underscores the tension between humanitarian concerns and the need for law‑and‑order enforcement in a community already strained by a rapid influx of newcomers.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.